Tongue-support.



No. 748,548. PATENTED ,DEC. 29, 1903. G. WENZELMANN & E. H. 0VBRHOLT.

TONGUE SUPPORT.

APPLIGATION FILED APR. 9, 190a.

Z'SHEETS-SHEET 1.

NO MODEL.

I Ei LQBi wiar 7fzg afzmvzrz I No. 748,548.: H PATENTED 1330.29, 1903'.

G. WENZELMANN & E. OVERHOLT.

TONGUE SUPPORT.

APPLIUATION FILED APR. 9, 1903.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

////II/IIIIIIIIIII/III UNITED STATES Patented December 29, 1903.

PATENT .OFFICE.

GUSTAVE WENZELMANN AND EDWARD I-I. OVERIIOLT, OF STREATOR, ILLINOIS,ASSIGNORS TO WENZELMANN MANUFACTURING COMPANY,

OF STRE ATOR, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

TONGUE-SUPPORT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 748,548, dated December29, 1903.

Application filed April 9, 1903. Serial No. 151,705. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that we, GUSTAVE WENZEL- MANN and EDWARD H. OVERHOLT,citizens of the United States, and residents of the city of Streator,county of Lasalle, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Tongue-Supports; and we do hereby declare thatthe following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates more particularly to a tongue-support adapted tobe used upon agricultural machinery and also vehicles.

In many kinds of agricultural machinery drawn by horses the weightcarried upon the animals necks is excessive. This is especially true ofcertain classes of harvesting machinery when the driver is off his seatand the cutting apparatus raised from the ground, a condition due inpart to the effort to produce an equilibrium when the machine is inoperation and the driver seated.

The object of this invention is to provide a tongue-support especiallyadapted to be used in connection with machines or vehicles the thereto,and consequently in which the usual forms of support cannot well beused.

Afurther object of the invention is to provide a cheap, simple, anddurable device which may be quickly and securelyadjusted to the tongueof any desired machine or vehicle and which will act to relieve thenecks of the draft-animals from any undue weight.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter described, and morefully pointed out and defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective View of a device embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a top planview. Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is asection taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 3. Figs. 6 and 6*are modifications ofthe clamping-plate. Fig. 7 is a longitudinal vertical section of thesame.

Figs. 8 and 9 are views similar to Fig. 7, but illustrateslightly-modified constructions.

As shown in said drawings, A and A indicate blocks of wood or anydesired materials adapted to be engaged, respectively, upon the top andbody of the tongue A of a harvester or the like, preferably at a pointintermediate the draw-pin and the machine. Said blocks are of a lengthsomewhat greater than the width of the tongue and are beveled on theircontact-faces therewith to an angle, which insures their opposite faceslying in approximately horizontal planes when the tongue is in itsnormal operating position. Above and below said blocks, extendingtransversely of the tongue, are the brackets B and B, which may also beof any desired material, but

preferably of iron or steel, cast, stamped, or otherwise suitablyformed, and the ends of which upon one side of the tongue extend beyondthe blocks A and A and are apertured to form a bearing forthepivot-shaft O of the'su'pporting-wheel D. Said brackets arelongitudinally slotted either in the form of a clevis, as shown in Figs.3, 4, and 5, or having an elongated aperture, as shown in Figs. 6,6, and7, as preferred. Tension-bolts b I) extend through said slots andthrough communicating vertical slots in the overhanging ends of theblocks A A and, together with the stud-bolt 17 which extends through theupper bracket and the block A and has threaded engagement in the tongue,adapts the device to be rigidly secured to tongues of diiferent widths.In the construction shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 5 washers or clips 73 areprovided which engage between the brackets and the heads and nuts of theboltsb b and have lateral downturned flanges thereon which engage overthe sides of the said brackets and prevent spreading. In-the'construction shown in Figs. 6, 6, and 7 the brackets are secured by thebolts (9 b which engage through apertures therein, and the bolt b, whichmovably engages in the slots in said brackets.

any well-known means. Said shaft is also bent laterally and rear-wardlyabove the wheel to bring the axis of the latter out of alinement withthe axis of the pivot-shaft. Said pivot-shaft passes through theapertured ends of the brackets and is provided above the lower bracketwith an adjustable collar 0, which acts to prevent said shaft fromdropping from its bearings and bears against the lower end of a strongcoiled spring 0, carriedon said shaft,andwhich engages the underside ofthe bracket A. Said spring acts normally to hold the wheel in itslowermost position, but allows it to move vertically Without acorresponding movement of the tongue should the wheel D run over anobstacle in its path. If desired to use a longer spring and give theshaft a greater vertical movement, the protruding ends of the bracketsmay be bent oppositely to give the required space, as indicated by thebrackets E E in Fig. 8, or, if preferred, a clasp or clip F maybesecured on the tongue, as shown in Fig. 9, and the integrally-connectedbrackets F engaged to the threaded ends thereof by means of nuts.

The operation of my device is as follows: When the tongue is elevated toits normal operative position with the support secured thereon, thepivot-shaft assumes a vertical position, since the tension-brackets lieapproximately in horizontal planes, and being journaled in said bracketsis free to turn, so .that the wheel D disposes itself in the line ofdraft whether the machine be moving forwardly or is turning from itsforward course. The device is adjusted on the tongue in position toyieldingly support the weight from the horses necks at all times overuneven ground or small obstacles to prevent elevating the tongue.

Obviously the support may be adjusted in diiferent sizes and differentheights of tongues and may be used upon any vehicle or machine where itis desired to support the weight which usually falls on the animalsneck, and obviously many details of construction may be varied withoutdeparting from the principles of this invention.

I claim as my invention 1. In a device of the class described thecombination with the tongue, of a projecting bracket thereon, meansadapted to hold said bracket in approximately a horizontal plane, apivot-wheel journaled therein, a spring engaging said bracket and theshaft of said wheel and acting to yieldingly support the tongue.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a tongue, ofbrackets projectingtransverselyabove and below the same and adjustablethereon, a pivot-shaft journaled in the ends thereof, means engaging thetongue intermediate the brackets adapted to hold said shaft in avertical position, aspring acting to force the shaft downwardly and awheel on the lower end of the pivot-shaft.

3. In a device of the class described the combination with aplurality ofslotted brackets having oflsets in one end thereof, of bolts extendingthrough the slots and acting to rigidly secure said brackets to thetongue of a harvester or the like, a spring-controlledvertically-movable shaft journaled in the offset of said brackets andawheel thereon adapted to track upon the ground and to support saidtongue in operative position.

4. In a device of the class described the combination with beveledblocks adapted to be secured above and below a draft-tongue theirexposed upper and lower surfaces in a horizontal plane when the tongueis in operative position, of a longitudinally slotted bracket fittedthereon and extending above and below the same, a plurality of boltspassing through said blocks and the slots in the brackets on each sideof the tongue, a pivotwheel journaled in the brackets and adapted totrack on the ground and acting to yieldingly support the tongue in anelevated posi- 5. The combination with a plurality of blocks adapted tobe secured above and below a draft-tongue and complementally beveled onadjacent sides and having slots in the ends, of a longitudinally slottedbracket adapted to engage on said blocks, bolts extending through saidbrackets and the slots in said blocks on each side of the tongue, apivot-wheel journaled in said bracket and tracking on the ground, aspring positioned between the brackets and bearing downwardly on thepivot-wheel, and acting to normally support the tongue on said wheel.

6. In a device of the class described the combination with a pluralityof brackets adapted to be secured respectively above and ICC below adraft-tongue, bolts passing on each side the tongue and acting to adjustably secure the bracket to the tongue, a verticallyreciprocatingshaft journaled in said brackets, an adjustable collar on said shaftbetween the brackets, a coiled spring seated thereon and engaging theupper bracket and a wheel adapted to track upon the ground and journaledon the lower end of said shaft.

7. In a device of the class described the combination with bracketshaving parallel faces adapted to engage above and below a draft-tongueand projectinglaterally thereof, of means for rigidly engaging thebrackets thereto secured on the ends of the same in close contact withthe tongue, a leveling-block engaged between the brackets and slotted toreceive said means, a shaft journaled .vertically in the projecting endsof said brackets, a spring engaging said shaft between the brackets andacting to yieldingly support a wheel journaled at a right angle with andon the lower end of said shaft and out of alinement of the axis thereof.

8. The combination with slotted brackets adapted to engage transverselyabove and below a draft-tongue, of bolts passing therescribed. our namesin the presence of two through on each side the tongue,strengthensubscribing Witnesses.

in -clips en aged on said brackets, clampinE-plates en gaging saidbrackets and through 1 5 which said boltspass and a pivot-wheel carriedby said brackets and acting to yieldingly Witnesses: v support thetongue thereon. C. W. HILLS, In testimony whereof we have hereunto sub-A. O. ODELL.

